AGF Cautions Against Painting Killings With Religious Connotation

The attorney-general of the federation and minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), has warned Nigerians against painting the prevailing security challenges in the country with religious connotation.

Also, the minister said ascribing religious colouration to the killings and other heinous crimes going on in the country can only inflame passions on both sides.

The AGF, during an emergency high level dialogue on law, justice and security in Nigeria, organised by the Ministry of Justice for state attorneys general and critical stakeholders, however blamed corrupt politicians for the security challenges.

He said, “As we approach another general election in 2019, it is easy to see the hands of corrupt politicians with contrary positions in our present security problems as they desperately attempt to discredit all the gains made by this administration, for pure political gain. We must resist these negative tendencies.

“The greater danger to our collective survival remains the fact that we are not fully out of the grip of this corrupt, privileged class, despite the best intentions and efforts of the Buhari administration.

“On the contrary, we are now confronted with a situation where they are using the humongous loot still in their possession, either directly or through proxies, to continuously launch attacks designed to subvert critical national and state institutions and processes including undermining the security agencies themselves; compromising the executive instruments of investigation; infiltrating the judiciary whose independence to determine cases judiciously and expeditiously they have attempted to undermine; and ultimately attempting to foist a system of corruption on the country.”

Malami, expressing need for sober speech and prudent counsel, urged religious leaders to stand firm as the vanguard of the nation.

“The rush to ascribe religious connotations to pure acts of criminality, even before investigation, can only serve to further deepen the national fault lines and inflame passions on all sides.”

Malami disclosed that the forum was convened against the backdrop of the severe prevailing security challenges facing the country.

The AGF stated that “insecurity in any form, in any part of Nigeria, is an affront to the values we have sworn to defend and to the future we envision for this great country”.